Who Are Christian Nationalists and What Do They Believe

Christian Nationalism has become a significant force in American public life, shaping attitudes about national identity, political authority, and the role of Christianity in the state. It is not a denomination or a church but an ideological framework that blends religious conviction with a particular vision of American nationhood. National survey data show that 29% of Americans fall into the categories of Christian Nationalism Adherents or Sympathizers, a proportion that has remained stable in recent years. This makes Christian Nationalism a mass‑scale identity movement rather than a fringe phenomenon.

At the core of Christian Nationalism is a set of theological and political claims about the nature of the United States. Supporters believe that America was founded as a Christian nation, that its laws and institutions should reflect Christian values, and that the country’s future depends on maintaining its Christian character. These convictions are expressed through five recurring themes: that God has called Christians to exercise authority over all areas of American society; that the government should formally declare the United States a Christian nation; that being Christian is essential to being “truly American”; that the nation will fail if it abandons its Christian foundations; and that U.S. laws should be based on Christian teachings. Together, these beliefs form a political theology in which Christian identity is the foundation of legitimate political authority.

This worldview carries a clear implication for political leadership. Because Christian Nationalists define the United States as a Christian nation whose institutions should reflect Christian teachings, they regard Christians as the rightful holders of political authority at every level of government. Within this framework, non‑Christian officeholders — whether county commissioners, school board members, state legislators, senators, or presidents — are viewed as inherently less legitimate. This belief does not necessarily translate into support for legal restrictions on who may hold office, but it shapes expectations about who should be elected and who is considered a proper representative of the nation’s identity and values.

Christian Nationalism is strongest among certain religious groups but extends across multiple traditions. White evangelical Protestants show the highest levels of support, with roughly two‑thirds qualifying as Adherents or Sympathizers. Hispanic Protestants also show majority support, making them the second‑strongest demographic bloc. Significant minorities of white Catholics, white mainline Protestants, Black Protestants, and Hispanic Catholics also align with Christian Nationalist beliefs. Because white evangelicals make up only a small share of the national population, the broader Christian Nationalist movement necessarily includes large numbers of Catholics and non‑evangelical Protestants. Support is lowest among non‑Christians and the religiously unaffiliated.

Patterns of religious practice reinforce these divisions. Americans who attend religious services weekly or more are far more likely to embrace Christian Nationalism than those who seldom or never attend. Frequent prayer and scripture reading show similar correlations. The movement is also shaped by political identity: a majority of Republicans qualify as Christian Nationalists, compared with a much smaller share of Democrats. Trust in far‑right media and Fox News is strongly associated with Christian Nationalist alignment.

Demographically, Christian Nationalism is more common among older Americans and those with lower levels of formal education. Asian American and Pacific Islander communities show the lowest levels of support. Geographically, Christian Nationalism is concentrated in the South and parts of the Midwest. States such as Arkansas, Mississippi, West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Wyoming show the highest levels of support, while states in the Northeast and Pacific Northwest show the lowest. State‑level support correlates with favorable views of Donald Trump and with Republican control of state legislatures.

The ideology carries a distinct set of political and social attitudes. Christian Nationalists are more likely to express openness to political violence, with more than one‑third agreeing that Americans may need to resort to force to “save the country.” They are more likely to endorse narratives describing immigrants as an invading force replacing American culture. Many support punitive approaches to immigration enforcement, including deportation without due process. Christian Nationalists also express conditional views of citizenship, showing lower support for birthright citizenship and higher support for stripping citizenship from individuals deemed threatening to the nation. These attitudes reflect a broader pattern of authoritarianism, with Christian Nationalists scoring highest on measures of obedience to strong leaders, punitive social order, and distrust of pluralistic democracy.

Christian Nationalism is not synonymous with Christianity, nor does it represent the beliefs of all Christians. It is a political identity movement that uses Christian language and symbols to define who belongs in the nation and who should hold power. Its adherents view Christianity not simply as a personal faith but as the rightful cultural and political foundation of the United States. This worldview rejects strict separation of church and state and elevates Christian identity as the basis for legitimate leadership.

As a result, Christian Nationalism shapes debates about national identity, citizenship, immigration, public education, and the boundaries of democratic participation. It is a movement with deep roots in American history and a significant presence in contemporary politics, drawing strength from multiple Christian traditions and expressing a coherent vision of a nation by Christian authority and cultural dominance.

Why Christian Nationalism Creates a Strategic Dilemma for Israelis

Christian Nationalists form one of the strongest and most reliable American constituencies supporting Israel. Their support is rooted in theology, eschatology (End Times), and a belief that Israel’s existence and security are central to God’s plan. In the United States, this group is disproportionately represented among white evangelical Protestants and certain other Christian communities, and it plays an outsized role in shaping the attitudes of the Republican Party and conservative political coalitions. For an Israeli government led by right‑leaning or religious parties, this demographic has become a crucial pillar of American public support.

Yet this same movement holds views about American identity and political legitimacy that place American Jews in an ambiguous and often subordinate position. Christian Nationalism defines the United States as a Christian nation whose institutions, laws, and leadership should reflect Christian teachings. Within this worldview, Christians are seen as the rightful holders of political authority at every level of government. Non‑Christians—including Jews—are viewed as less legitimate officeholders, not necessarily because of their policies but because their religious identity does not align with what Christian Nationalists consider the nation’s true character. This creates a tension that is difficult for Israelis to ignore.

The demographic reality sharpens the dilemma. Roughly 7.5 million Jews live in the United States, compared with 7.2 million in Israel. American Jews are deeply integrated into the country’s political, cultural, and economic life. They serve in Congress, lead major institutions, shape public discourse, and form a core part of the American‑Israeli relationship. Their sense of belonging and security in the United States is not an abstract matter; it is a central pillar of global Jewish stability. When a large American ideological movement—representing nearly one‑third of the population—views Jews as less “truly American” or less legitimate as political leaders, it raises concerns that extend far beyond theology.

For Israelis, this creates a strategic contradiction. On one side is a powerful American constituency that offers unwavering support for Israel’s government, especially when that government is right‑leaning or religious. On the other side is the reality that this same constituency holds an exclusionary vision of American identity that marginalizes American Jews. The movement’s political theology elevates Israel while diminishing the civic standing of Jews in the United States. It supports Jewish sovereignty abroad while questioning Jewish legitimacy at home.

This contradiction matters because the long‑term security of Israel depends not only on American military aid or diplomatic backing but also on the health and stability of Jewish life in the United States. American Jews are a bridge between the two countries, a source of political support, philanthropic investment, cultural connection, and strategic alignment. If a major American ideological movement simultaneously strengthens Israel and weakens the civic standing of American Jews, Israelis face a strategic tradeoff: embrace the short‑term benefits of Christian Nationalist support or consider the long‑term risks to the American Jewish community that underpins the broader U.S.–Israel relationship.

The dilemma is not easily resolved. Christian Nationalists support Israel for theological reasons that have little to do with Jewish self‑determination or democratic values. Their worldview elevates Israel as a sacred entity while subordinating Jews as political actors within the United States. Israelis must therefore navigate a complex landscape in which one of their strongest American allies is also a movement whose vision of America excludes millions of Jews from full civic legitimacy.

This tension sits at the heart of contemporary Israeli‑American relations: a powerful ally whose support strengthens Israel abroad while potentially undermining Jewish belonging at home.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)